Alexa was barely aware of the screams around her as she and Amanda hit the stone floor significantly harder than she had anticipated. She grit her teeth and pushed herself upright, every muscle trembling.

She cried out in pain as her ribs scraped against each other in her side, sending a shooting arc of acid through her torso. Her back was hot, too hot, and blindly she reached for it, pawing desperately, yelping when the pain spiked. She pulled her hands back and they were red, red and dripping. Everything was going dark, she couldn't breathe. Panic clawed up her throat and choked her. There were hands on her, gripping her arms, shaking her.

"Look at me!" she hadn't realized her eyes were shut, "Look at me Alexa!" Groaning she forced her eyes open to find Neville's face was inches from hers. "Lavender! Lavender get over here!" he shouted over his shoulder. "What happened?" he demanded turning his attention back to her.

She coughed, all she could taste was metal, "I found Amanda," she croaked, "Something's wrong with my back...ribs are broken...might have punctured something." She closed her eyes again and Neville shook her, making her open them.

Lavender appeared in her field of vision in an explosion of curly blond hair. "Lie back," she ordered sternly, pulling out her wand. Neville guided her so she was lying on the stone floor, and Lavender levitated her. Alexa grimaced in pain. She wasn't sure where she was being taken but she couldn't bring herself to care. All her attention was going to not passing out, and the spots in her vision were ever encroaching.

"I don't know if it's better to put her on her stomach or her back-" Lavender said, "Neville, I need you to take her."

"Right-" Their voices were blurry. Everything hurt, there was nothing that wasn't pain.

They switched, and for barely a millisecond Alexa was in freefall. But Neville's wand was steady and he caught her as quickly as Lavender had dropped her.

"This isn't going to feel good," Lavender warned her.

"I mean, I'm having such a ball right now," Alexa groaned.

Lavender's mouth twisted, and then she began murmuring under her breath. She felt her ribs shivering beneath her skin and at once they snapped back into place, grinding painfully against each other with an audible click.

"Figlio di puttana!" Alexa hollered. But the pain in her ribs had ebbed to a dull numbness that she was grateful for.

"Sorry!" Lavender squeaked. The girl's hands were shaking.

"I'm good, I'm good," Alexa gasped. Her vision was getting darker and darker around the edges. She was losing blood, she realized.

"You're doing great Lav," Neville assured her.

"On it-Neville, you can put her on the bed now. Alexa, can you sit up?" With her ribs mended her head began to clear.

"I don't know," she replied. Everything was so far away.

"I'm going to set you down," Neville asserted. She was lowered onto a bed, and instantly Neville's hands were there to help her sit up.

"Oh merda," she groaned. Her back was on was in a small alcove, separated from the rest of the room by thick white curtains.

"Neville, can you...I don't know, look away? I need to get her shirt off." Neville nodded, promptly closing his eyes.

"It's mostly shredded anyways," Lavender said, stepping closer. She was right. It only took a simple spell to cut the rest of it off her. Lavender pulled the sheet up and numbly Alexa tucked it under her arms so it covered her chest.

"All clear," Lavender murmured to Neville. He opened his eyes, and peeked behind Alexa.

"It looks totally fine," he told her, but she knew he was lying.

Lavender lightly ran her wand across Alexa's shoulders, and Alexa felt the sticky warmth vanish from her body. "Oh that's deep," Lavender inhaled through her teeth. The witch murmured under her breath, her wand poking gently into Alexa's skin every now and then. The warmth was returning. "It's not healing," panic was leaking into Lavender's voice.

"What?" Alexa asked, eyes widening.

"Nothing is working," Lavender's brows shoved together, "I think I can stop the bleeding…" She whispered something, and the blood was once again gone from her skin. This time, however, it didn't come back. "Alright," Lavender took a deep breath. "I've cleaned it, and the blood can't come out now-hold on-" she vanished, and Alexa heard her yell something to whoever was waiting outside the curtains. Lavender came back, and Alexa realized the girl's hands were covered in blood. "I'll need to know what the spell was-maybe there's a book or something…"

"Scalpere Carne, that's what it was." The pain in her back hadn't changed.

"Oh that's not good," Lavender said, eyes growing wide.

"I picked up on that," Alexa snorted. She took deep breaths, trying to focus on the feeling of Neville's hands gripping her shoulders, the roughness of the sheet against her skin, anything that wasn't her back.

"That's dark magic-I can't heal it by magic. It has to be done the normal way," Lavender's lips were pressed together.

"I have nectar and ambrosia in my room," Alexa said, " Nobody should get a hold of that-in my trunk there's things to stitch it up-"

"Stitch?" Neville asked, eyes wide.

"That's how muggles have been dealing with wounds like this for thousands of years, I'm just going to need somebody else to do it. I can get-"

"You're not going anywhere tonight," Lavender declared, washing her hands in the nearby sink that had appeared on the wall.

"But-"

"I'll see if I can figure out a way for it to be collected," Neville assured her.

"Thank you," she sighed.

Lavender, meanwhile, had pulled out bandages. Ginny poked her head in, eyes widening at the wound on Alexa's back. In her arms were a few bottles of healing potions. She passed them over to Lavender and came to sit on Alexa's other side.

"What happened?" Ginny asked.

"This should wait-" Neville protested.

"Drink this," Lavender interrupted them both and handed Alexa a bottle, the cork already pulled out, "Blood replenisher." Alexa threw it back like a shot, grimacing at the taste of cinnamon and metal as it burned her mouth. The effect was immediate. Her mind was already clearer, although she still had a splitting headache.

"Voldemort was making an example out of Amanda-I guess her sister isn't behaving as he thinks she should. He had us all lined up and he was going to kill her...so I crucio'ed him. Snape got me with the curse."

"You cast...the cruciatus curse...on You-Know-Who?" Ginny whispered, "That's bloody brilliant-very stupid, but bloody brilliant."

"I'm going to put something on that will numb the pain," Lavender said. Alexa jumped as something cold pressed against the open wound, but the pain began to subside as the potion was dabbed across her back.

"That's so much better," Alexa said, and Neville took his hands off her shoulders. She could sit on her own now.

"Mhm," Lavender murmured, "It's going to be tricky to cover-it's all the way from your shoulder here," she tapped Alexa's left shoulder, "To here," she tapped Alexa's right hip, just above where her pants started. "Unfortunately, the most I can do for you is make sure it doesn't get infected," she paused, "Sewing it closed makes sense-but I think I have a spell to close a wound like that, hold on." She vanished out beyond the curtain.

"I'll be right back-I'm going to get you a shirt." Ginny slipped through the white curtains as well. Alexa was almost entirely clear headed at this point, but physically she was exhausted.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked, sitting down next to her, "Actually?"

Alexa stared down at her hands, "I think that may have been the closest I've come to bleeding out," she closed her eyes, exhaling, rolling her neck back, "I'll be fine."

Lavender came bounding back into the room, a thick volume clutched triumphantly in her hands.

"Alright, I've never done this before, but I don't think it's complicated, but I think it is going to hurt." She looked anxious, and Alexa tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"It's probably not going to make it any worse," she pointed out.

Lavender nodded once, and took a deep breath. By now Ginny had returned and come back and watched with a hawk-like gaze.

"Alright," Lavender nodded, taking one last look at the book, "One, two Obsigna!"

Alexa gasped as the flesh on her back moved, pressing together.

"Are you alright?" Lavender asked, looking horrified. Alexa couldn't imagine that had been pretty to watch.

"All good," she replied.

"It's not healed," Lavender emphasized, "It just sticks the edges together."

"Got it," Alexa nodded, yawning. Ginny offered her a thick, red sweater with a "G" knit on the front. She could barely keep her eyes open.

"You need to rest now," Lavender said firmly. She scourged the bed and the sheets of blood, and Alexa nodded and kicked off her shoes. She lay carefully on her side, trying not to jostle the wound.

When Alexa awoke, some hours later, the room was entirely dark. The entire rebellion was fast asleep and, when she checked her watch. It was almost midnight. She'd been asleep for over twelve hours.

"How're you feeling?" Zachariah's sudden appearance made her jump.

"Fine, much better," she said, slowly reaching her arms over her head. She had to stop halfway due to the spike of pain shot through her back, "How's Amanda?"

"Alive, thanks to you," he sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at his shoes. "I wanted to apologize," he said, looking at her through his hair, "You risked your life to save Amanda. I'm sorry I've been such a prat. You do a lot for us here."

Alexa blinked, momentarily stunned by his words, "No problem-it's not-it's fine. Thank you," she finally said, "For apologizing." she wasn't entirely sure how to respond. Zachariah had made his dislike of her very open.

"Thank you for saving Amanda," he repeated, "Archie too."

"Of course," she waved him off, "That's what I'm here for."

Zachariah gave her a small smile, "Still. I owe you. I mean that," he offered his hand.

She shook it, "Anytime."

"Neville's leading a group to flood the third floor," he continued, "He left me here if you wake up. If you're feeling up to it, he said you should go and get your trunk. Well," he paused, giving her a dry look, "He said you shouldn't but that he couldn't stop you and if you got hurt again he was going to be very cross."

Alexa chuckled, "That's mother Neville for you." The words struck her. They had been working together for months now. She trusted Neville. "I'll be back soon, thanks." She flashed a grin and was gone.

She was in the boys dormitory. The first thing she had to do was let Theo and Blaise know that she wasn't dead.

Silently she slipped through the curtains on Blaise's bed, casting a spell so they wouldn't be overheard. She shook his shoulders, and his eyes snapped open.

"Merlin!" he gasped, reaching out to pull her into a hug. She caught his hands, stopping him.

"I've got a giant gash in my back," she explained quickly,

"Sorry!" Blaise whispered, "I'm so glad you're okay," he said, taking her hands in his, "What were you thinking?" he demanded, suddenly angry.

"I thought it would be a great time to practice what the Carrows have been teaching us," she shrugged. Blaise glared.

"Alessandra stop it. This isn't funny. You almost-you could have died." His voice broke.

"Blaise," she said softly, "Blaise, I'm sorry." He stared at a spot on his curtains to the left of her, "Please look at me." After a moment's hesitation, he glared at her. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, squeezing his hands. "He was going to murder her. She's back with her brother now, and they're going to be safe."

"I don't understand you," his voice was thick.

"You understand it," she countered, "You just don't like it."

His brows pushed together, "Alexa you can't-you can't be responsible for being the only one-"

"I'm not the only one," she asserted.

"Can't you just take up gardening instead?" he grumbled.

Alexa snorted, "Where would the fun in that be?"

"It would be fun for me not to have a heart condition by the time I'm twenty." He groaned.

"Nah," she laughed, "I think you'll be fine. I've got to tell Theo. But I'll be around Blaise." She gave him a smile. Blaise sighed, and kissed her cheek.

"Be careful," he urged, "And be gentle with Theo."

"Always am."

He caught her arm, "I mean it Alexa, you know he's never...gotten over it."

She scowled, "That's not your business."

"Yes, it is. You're both my friends and I told you from the beginning dating him was a bad idea-"

"Are we seriously talking about this now?" she demanded, "It didn't work out, you were right, is that what you want me to say?"

"No," he shook his head, "Sorry, that was stupid-I'm just," he sighed, exasperated, "Worried." And Merlin, was she worried about him, too. Everything was escalating, and as much as she couldn't understand how he wasn't fighting, some part of her was glad he wasn't. Blaise and Theo meant everything to her.

She reached out to him, pulling him into a hug as she buried her face in his neck. He very carefully wrapped his arms around her, keeping his embrace loose.

"Please be careful," Blaise murmured. She pulled away, kissing his cheek as she went. His eyes were tender now, and that was the way she preferred them.

"I'll be around, I promise," she said, "I'm being as careful as I can be."

"You had better," Blaise said sternly, "Or you're grounded." She laughed, gave him a salute, and dropped into the shadows, emerging on the corner of Theo's bed.

He was awake in the dark, eyes open, face blank. He jumped at her appearance, relief washing over his face.

"Alessandra!" he lurched upright and cradled her face in his hands, bringing their foreheads together. She closed her eyes and exhaled. His hands were smooth on her face and he smelled the same as he always did. She gently pulled his hands from her face, clasping them in her own.

"I thought...I thought…." his eyes were abruptly wet, and she squeezed his hands.

"I'm fine, a little worse for wear, but I'm fine Theo." She kept her voice soothing. But he shook his head.

"You're not fine. I can smell the potion on you and you wince every time you move-I know what that spell does. You're not fine, this isn't fine, nothing is fine!"

"I'm okay," she shrugged, regretting the gesture as it pulled the bandages, "My ribs were broken but we fixed them. We stopped the bleeding-"

"I should have helped you."

Her eyebrows shot up, "What?"

"I should have helped you. I should be helping you," he sat up, and ran a hand manically through his hair, "This is wrong-and I know it's wrong. My family is in good standing and if I just stay quiet I'll be safe, but Merlin," he shook his head, "This is wrong. This is evil. And you got hurt and I didn't do anything!"

"Hey," she said, She wanted Theodore to stay safe, but she knew once he made up his mind it was impossible to change. "It's better that you didn't. Dumbledore's Army has lost their spy, but I still have you, You can be our eyes now."

"How?" he demanded, "Nobody is going to trust me the way they trust you."

"They trust me, and I trust you, Theo. It's only Neville and Ginny I'd have to convince anyway."

"I can do that," he nodded, "And when it comes down to it, I'm going to fight with you." She was startled by his sudden determination and fire.

"Thank you," she replied, unsure of what else to say. Theo had always been fairly mild. The sudden assurance of violence from him was strange. "I have to go get my stuff now," she said, "I'll check in soon."

Theo nodded, giving her a stern, almost parental look, "Be careful." He and Blaise were probably the only ones who ever did anything parental to her.

She slipped into the girl's dormitory. Moving quickly, she opened her trunk and froze. She had packed a duffle bag inside her trunk in case she needed to flee-already packed with a sword, a dagger, nectar and ambrosia, a change of clothes, and extra toiletries. It was gone.

"Alexa?" Daphne's voice whispered, and she turned to see the other girl slipping out of bed.

Alexa flicked her wand in the direction of the other beds, ensuring none would hear them. Daphne raised her hands to show she was unarmed.

"You're alive! I'm sorry, but I figured they would go through your things-I went into your trunk and just tried to pull out anything I thought you might still want-I got your stuff from the bathroom after everybody had gone to sleep."

Alexa grinned at Daphne, "You're brilliant, y'know that?" she said, putting away her wand. Daphne smiled, and gestured for Alexa to come towards her bed. She had taken the duffle bag, which seemed to have been now stuffed to the brim, shoved it all the way against the wall under the headboard, and cast a simple glamour over it.

"Thank you," Alexa said, genuinely, "There was a picture, did you-?"
"I wrapped it up so the frame wouldn't break," Daphne nodded, "That was really brave." Daphne shook her head, "You don't understand. You're doing something for the Slytherins who don't agree-people are talking."

Alexa blinked, surprised, "Wow," she mused. There were more who were just pretending.

"You should get out of here though," Daphne glanced at Pansy's bed, "It's not safe. But Alexa...are you really a demigod…?" she seemed nervous.

Alexa nodded, "Yup. Daughter of Pluto, god of the Underworld," she gave a half smile, glad the other girl seemed unafraid, "I'll see you around, Daphne."

Daphne nodded, "You will," she assured. Alexa liked the fire in her eyes.

That should be everything she cared about. She looked around the room, suddenly realizing that it was very likely she would never sleep in the Slytherin dorms again. It was strange. She was struck with a wave of nostalgia. This dorm, this house, it was her home as much as camp. But she had things to do, and that left no time for sentimentality...but she would see the common room one more time.

Alexa crept down the stairs, ears perked for any sign of someone awakening. And then she heard papers shuffling, like a book being leafed through. Peaking around the corner of the banister she saw a white-blond head slumped in a chair.

"Draco?" she called, coming into the light.

"Alexa," Draco hissed lurching from the chair. His pale hair was glowing faintly green in the dim light, and his eyes were wide.

"Hey there, Dragon," she said, pulling her bag over her good shoulder, carefully avoiding the cut on her back.

He swallowed, eyes lingering on the sword strapped to her hip

"I thought you were dead," he said flatly. He had drawn into himself, pulling his back straight and his mouth stiff.

"Nah," Alexa said, an easy grin lighting her face, "Alive and kicking. Pluto doesn't want me there anyways."

Draco pursed his lips, hesitating, "I'm glad," he said finally.

Alexa blinked, "Thanks," she responded. They looked at each other for a moment. There wasn't much to say. They knew each other. Hell, they knew each other's deepest fear. But they weren't friends. She wasn't quite sure what had even pushed her to speak to him tonight.

"Well, Dragon-" she began, trying to escape the conflicting emotions in her head. Tonight had been too much, and she was still sore.

"Why do you call me that?" he asked suddenly.

"Dragon?" she tilted her head, hoping she could bluff her way out of the slightly embarrassing topic, "It's what your name means-"

"Yeah, but you've always called me that," he said.

She had. From the train ride their first year. They had been in the same compartment until he proved to be a she had wandered off and found Theo and Blaise.

Alexa chuckled sheepishly, "It's a demigod thing-We sort of automatically speak Latin. It translates in my head. So when you said 'Draco' I heard 'Dragon'. And I thought it was weird, but so was the idea of a talking hat," she shrugged.

Draco raised an eyebrow, staring at her for a second. But then he smiled, and abruptly they were stifling laughing.

"All this time," he cackled, "I thought there was some sort of weird meaning."

"Nope," she snickered, "It took too long for me to figure out that wasn't your name to back out. I had to just go just go with it."

"How long did it take you?" he demanded, leaning against the couch.

"...Halfway through second year," she admitted, smiling.

Draco snorted, "I'm almost impressed by that."

Alexa chuckled, "Yeah well, honest mistake," she shrugged.

"Sure," he rolled his eyes.

She leaned back against an armchair and winced, it had pressed against the cut.

"You alright?" Draco asked, stepping closer.

"Yeah, fine. It's nothing, still a bit beat up. Whatever they hit me with was resistant to healing spells and potions. Fortunately I know a little bit about muggle medicine," she shrugged.

Draco's thin blond brows pushed together, and he crossed his arms as if to fight off a chill.

"Sorry," he said. And it hung between them.

"I wish..." he trailed off, shaking his head, "That it could have turned out different," he looked up at her.

"Yeah," she said, "Yeah, me too."

Silence.

"I've got to go...I'd rather not be caught...it wouldn't be good for you either," Alexa shifted the bag once more.

"Yeah," Draco ran his hand through his hair in a motion reminiscent of Harry Potter, "Yeah, that would be bad. Maybe I'll see you when the dust settles?" he sounded almost hopeful.

"Draco," she paused, "if you want out…"

"I don't think that's an option any more," Draco looked away from her. She nodded.

"I'll see you when the storm hits. The battle's coming." She saw something flicker in his expression as she turned on her heel and into the shadows.